NORTHAMPTON – Paula Poundstone has found the secret to making people laugh at their own flaws, a talent she has perfected through several decades worth of jokes at her own expense.

With her omnipresent sarcasm and a spark of universal understanding in her eyes, Poundstone could make a leopard laugh at its own spots.

Performing two sold out shows in one night at Iron Horse Music Hall Friday night, it is clear that Poundstone has truly found success in the comedy business.

Neither frigid weather nor late hours could stop her dedicated fans from coming out to support her. A line of shivering Poundstone enthusiasts stretched far beyond the doors of the venue for the second show.

The comedienne swaggered to the stage in a long-coated, pinstripe suit and dress shirt, typical of her performance attire.

Upon calming the crowd’s enthusiastic reception, Poundstone greeted her following by declaring them her most devoted of fans.

“At the early show they were nice, but you know, they go to a 7 o’clock show and some of them were dosing off. It wasn’t a mature crowd, like this guy,” she said.

The unfortunate soul who chose to sit in the front row became the first topic of the evening.

Upon discovering that the gentleman in the front row was a self-proclaimed “inventor,” Poundstone amused herself and the audience with an interrogative blend of comedy and a harsh dose of reality, made comical by virtue of its truthfulness.

“You’re an inventor? Really? And your mother is